Born on August 2: Butch Vig, Garbage’s multifaceted drummer

You might think there isn’t much to say about a rock drummer—in this case, Garbage’s drummer. And yet, nothing could be further from the truth! Because Butch Vig is a multifaceted musician...

Just like his buddy Steve Marker on bass, his primary role is to provide the rhythmic backbone of Garbage’s repertoire. Without ever pounding his drums like a lumberjack, the 70-year-old Wisconsin native certainly leaves his mark on tracks like “I’m Only Happy When It Rains,” “Push It,” and “Stupid Girl.” It just goes to show that it’s possible to hold your own alongside the flamboyant (and often redheaded) Shirley Manson.

Alongside his time with the American-Scottish band (with a few brief stints elsewhere), Butch Vig has pursued his own interests. Before the Garbage era, he played in local bands, the best known of which remains Spooner. With two albums already to his credit since 2017, his latest solo project bears the amusing name 5 Billions In Diamonds.

In order to indulge his passion for sound and produce his own music as well as that of some of the bands he’s mentored, Butch ran Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, from 1983 to 2010. It was at this legendary studio—which unfortunately went bankrupt—that he left his mark on some of the most memorable rock albums of the ’90s: "Gish" by the Smashing Pumpkins (1991), "Bricks Are Heavy" by L7 (1992), Nirvana’s “Nevermind” and “Incesticide” (1990 and 1992), and of course Garbage’s early albums, including the famous “Version 2.0” in 1998.

Vig has also contributed his talents to several albums by Killdozer, Urge Overkill, Sonic Youth —notably on “Dirty” (1992)— House of Pain, Green Day, the Foo Fighters, and dozens of others. Quite an impressive track record. From time to time, for a change of pace, he also composes the occasional film score, such as for “The Third Parent,” a horror film set to hit theaters in 2026.

Still shrouded in an aura of mystery, Butch Vig is also celebrating his return to the studio with the Smashing Pumpkins. In May 2026, Billy Corgan announced that the band had recorded a brand-new single under his direction, marking their first collaboration since the cult album “Siamese Dream” (1993). No further information is currently available...

Photo: Before their March 30, 1996, concert at the Vooruit in Ghent (Belgium), Garbage poses in front of the local Holiday Inn. Butch Vig is third from the left